DISCLAIMER: I don't own Digimon, but I do own the OCs in this story and my other stories (except where stated otherwise). Zach Strafer is the property of Fireblast123.

Thanks to Crazyeight for beta reading this chapter.

DIMENSIONS

Stratagems

By Blazing Chaos

CHAPTER 6

Bokomon

"So, once again we escape and once again fate decides to blow us to kingdom come," Zach thought with a frown, before looking up at Asuka above him, her feminine hands nonetheless tightly gripped around his neck. They tensed up even further at the sight of their doom, Zach choking as his windpipe became blocked. He spluttered, Asuka looking down and quickly removing her hands.

"Sorry," she mouthed. Zach nodded, reaching down to his D-Arc as it glowed with light. His other hand gripped a card, the boy praying to god that it was the right card. "Be quick," Asuka noted, knowing that even if Candlemon were to be digivolved or modified to be faster, it'd be unlikely that he would be able to defend them from so many opponents at once.

As Zach swiped the card through the D-Arc, both he and Asuka tightly closed their eyes, knowing it was all over, even if it was the right card. An electronic beep sounded, as the card failed to swipe correctly.

"Wrong way up," Zach thought glumly, accepting his unlucky fate.

"PYRO DARTS!" sounded from above all of a sudden, a wave of fiery bullets colliding with the various Artmon and knocking their blaster attacks off-target. They splattered across the sand, barely missing the humans and one collided mere centimetres from them. The pair of humans were thrown aside, each ending up on their backs breathing deeply to get over the shock, their hearts racing. "Leave these humans alone, you monsters!"

"Zach, he is a monster too. A Digital Monster," Candlemon pointed out, Zach groaning before looking across to a large red warrior standing determined as he glared as the Artmon. Zach didn't spend much time observing its form; other issues were far more pressing.

"Obviousmon, shut up so we can help!" Zach said, determination flashing across his eyes as he stood up, staring at the eyeless opponents with ferocity. "I'm sick of everyone dying because of you, and I won't let anyone else die at your hands! DIGI-MODIFY, Matrix Digivolution Activate!" Zach called, his D-Arc bursting into light.

M-A-T-R-I-X

D-I-G-I-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N

Candlemon Matrix Digivolve to…

Mummymon!

"Here we go again," Zach thought, frowning as Mummymon raised Obelisk and fired away, as though his Tamer wasn't there.

"NECROPHOBIA!" he roared, the powerful blast shooting out and colliding with a trio of Artmon, their data quickly absorbed by the rest who prepared to attack again.

"Nice shot," complimented the fiery warrior. Mummymon merely chuckled, raising his other hand as the bandages flailed around them in readiness.

"SNAKE BANDAGE!" he called, the strips completely wrapping around one of the Artmon. He swept it to one side, it colliding and breaking through several fellow Artmon with ease as if it were a wrecking ball.

"My turn," the red warrior announced, looking at the remaining Artmon with a fierce and blazing glare. One hand rose as if it were holding a playing card, the other pointing exactly opposite to it. "PYRO TORNADO!" he called, flames bursting from the holes on his metallic gauntlets. Unlike with the darts, however, this time he began to spin, creating a huge fiery vortex that rose above and consumed the Artmon as it swept towards them, wiping their data into nothing but red exploding bursts of energy. Zach's and Asuka's eyes widened at the impressive sight, and even Mummymon, never one to compliment another's power, raised an eyebrow at the flash that illuminated the night desert around them.

Agunimon landed again, breathing a sigh of relief as the flame dissimilated before turning to face those he was protecting. "Are you all alright?" he asked, looking to the two children and the mummy-like Digimon with concern.

"Are you guys alright?" he asked. Zach glanced down, checking all his limbs were still in place. Apart from a large red strangling mark on his neck and rips in his clothes, he seemed fine enough.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he answered.

"That was pretty impressive," Asuka noted, still astounded by the attack.

"That was easy, but I'm disgusted by how these Artmon pick on the weak and vulnerable like that," the fiery warrior noted.

"They pick on anyone Agunimon, haven't you worked that out by now?" Mummymon criticised, identifying the Digimon in the process. Then again, Zach was already well aware of what this Digimon was called: he'd seen Digimon Frontier, but he never expected to see a real one.

"I don't care, I still hate them," Agunimon said, frowning. Zach raised his emerald-green D-Arc to analyse the warrior.

"Agunimon, Unknown Type, Champion Level, attacks Pyro Darts, Pyro Tornado and Pyro Punch," Zach noted, reading off his screen as he saw Agunimon's image. "Huh? I don't know what's up with this thing, but I can tell you that he's Variable Type and at the H-Hybrid level," he noted, reading it with a bewildered grin. "This thing really is a piece of junk."

"At least yours still works," Asuka noted with a frown, lifting her navy D-Arc to her eye level. She shook it periodically, as if that would fix it, before returning the static-screened device to her side.

"Come on, we'll take you to the camp," Agunimon said, gesturing across the dimly-lit desert.

The rocky sand of the desert turned down and steep randomly as the humans and Digimon, Mummymon now back in his rookie form, headed towards it. Below it ran into a crater, not formed by any meteorite but by the mere oddity of land forming in the Digital World. As they stepped over the edge and looked down into the huge crater, they were forced to pause in amazement. Light suddenly swept across the Digital World as the day began, illuminating an amazing sight.

"This place is…huge," Asuka stuttered, looking at the large improvised camp below. A motley gathering of tents, small fires, resting Digimon and guard posts, surprisingly organised and with well-trodden routes in-between them, ranging from thin alleyways to thick boulevards in the sand. All kinds of Digimon gathered in the camp, from barely visible specks of baby Digimon to mega levels that could clearly be made out. The weakest seemed to congregate towards the centre, with mega level Digimon guarding the outside, ready to fire and protect the camp.

"This is the Camp of Survivors," Agunimon introduced. "It's probably one of many such camps in the Digital World, but we know little of any others, and I wouldn't hold your hopes up," he introduced, gesturing across the size of the camp.

"So…many…Digimon…" Zach gasped, soon going into "Digimon Fanboy" mode as he began to identify Digimon. "There's an Airdramon, and a SkullSatamon, and a Gomamon, a Dracmon, wow, look at how cool that EmperorGreymon looks! This place is awesome!" he rambled. Asuka rolled her eyebrows, looking over to their guide.

"So, how many Digimon are there here?" she asked curiously.

"No idea, but they just keep on coming," Agunimon answered. "The whole Digital World is in crisis, these Artmon are easy to take out on their own, but there are so many of them. Even mega levels have difficulty with beating them," he noted with a frown.

"It's the same in the real world," Asuka noted with a similar frown.

"I would love to get my hands on the bastard who created the Artmon," Zach said determinedly, his hands turning into fists.

"I'm right behind you on that buddy," Agunimon echoed. "He doesn't even have the courtesy of telling us who he is," he added, his hands also turning into fists.

"How do you know that they were created by someone?" Asuka asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"There was a message, broadcast across the Digital World. We all heard it, the sound was all-pervading," Agunimon answered, frowning as he looked down into the camp. "That was when it started," he finished grimly.

"So who runs this place?" Asuka asked curiously, as they began their descent into the crater along a well-worn path.

"We all do. As much as we may fight usually, we Digimon know exactly when to stop and band together," he explained, a proud smile on his face soon tinged as he continued his explanation. "That's why we are different from the Artmon. That is why they are not real Digimon," he added.

"Tell that to the guy controlling them," Zach added, the four descending into silence as they entered the camp and headed down one of its main paths, lined with a variety of Digimon.

"Wow, a human," a ToyAgumon noted, seeing the two humans and two Digimon pass them.

"Don't be silly, that's just a Manmon and Womon," a pink mouse-like Chuumon added.

"Really? They look human to me," ToyAgumon, an Agumon made from building blocks, noted.

"Idiots," a Koemon, a small green monkey-like Digimon, muttered.

"You will be able to shelter here as long as you need; everyone is putting rivalries aside for this," Agunimon noted, turning to face them as they reached the centre of the camp.

"Odd, I don't see any Renamon," Zach noted curiously, glancing around at the camp and noticing the absence of a type that was growing in prominence recently. Where were they?

"Hmm," Agunimon pondered, glancing around as Asuka and Candlemon did likewise. "You know, I hadn't noticed that," he added.

"Isn't that a bit…concerning?" Asuka asked. "A whole species of Digimon missing?" she added.

"Renamon and their evolutions tend to be very subtle, so ya'll shouldn't be surprised. They're probably just hiding from the Artmon, something I wish I could do too, but I'm just too pretty," added a new voice, a new form stepping from the crowd, another Legendary Warrior, Ranamon, a blue and green aquatic humanoid.

"Do you Legendary Warriors just hang out together or something?" Zach asked, an amazed look on his face.

"Not wanting to sound stupid sugar, but what's a Legendary Warrior?" Ranamon asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Ah, never mind," Zach answered, before raising his D-Arc. "Ranamon, Unknown…ahem…Variable Type, H-Hybrid Level, attacks Drainin' Rain and Dark Vapour," he dictated.

"Are you going to do that for every Digimon we see?" Asuka asked, raising an eyebrow at her companion.

"Yeah, why?" Zach asked. Asuka rolled her eyes.

"Never heard of sensitivity and tactfulness then," she muttered, Zach not hearing.

"So how did you find us in the first place Agunimon?" Candlemon asked curiously.

"The Artmon feel completely different to any other Digimon, we can sense them from a long distance away," the flame warrior noted. "And the same can be said for humans, along with the fact you made a loud thump when you hit the ground," he added with a smile.

"How'd you humans get here anyhow?" Ranamon asked, raising an eyebrow at the pair of humans.

Asuka frowned, contemplating the girl who had helped them to escape despite clearly losing her own life soon after.

"One second," she procrastinated, turning her screen around to face the centre of the lobby. "Move," she whispered, Zach and Asuka creeping aside. "Now, I'm sorry, but this is going to make a lot of noise," she said, clicking the mouse as the screen glowed. It bulged, energy flowing off it and beginning to settle in the centre of the room, warping reality around it as the other three stared on in shock. Alice frowned, noticing how it wasn't working. She held the gun to a part of the still-opened computer tower, pressing it and disintegrating a component that was restricting power use. Suddenly, waves of data pulsed out of the screen, generating a surprising sight in the centre of the hotel floor.

"A portal?!" Zach questioned, having seen the odd anomaly in pictures on Digital Watch many a time. Asuka was similarly surprised, but Alice looked with a frown towards the window, a series of Artmon approaching.

"They're coming," she noted forebodingly, standing up from the desk and standing behind Asuka, Zach and Candlemon. "You have to go to the Digital World!" she insisted.

Asuka pushed the thoughts out of the way, frowning. "We had some help," she noted, Ranamon realising that it clearly wasn't worth pushing the point.

"So, you've seen both. Where is it better then? Here or there?" Agunimon asked, changing the subject somewhat.

"Agunimon, that's not tactful at all," another Digimon said, stepping forth from the shadows and the crowd into view, as Zach added further to his "they're all Legendary Warriors" theory. The figure was a bipedal warrior Digimon, taller than the other two "Legendary Warriors" with him, and seemingly from the Garurumon family. "Cool, a Beowolfmon," Zach noted, the wolf looking to him curiously.

"Yes? How do you know my name?" Lobomon asked in concern, gripping a hand into a fist around his golden dual-bladed sword. This could be trouble.

"Erm…" Zach mumbled.

"He's a fan of Digimon, that's all," Asuka covered for him, smiling lightly. Zach nodded in thanks, raising his D-Arc. He didn't want to have to explain that in a TV series, these Digimon were all affiliated with one another - that could get very confusing for them.

"Beowolfmon, Variable Type, F-Hybrid Level, attacks Frozen Hunter and Cleansing Light," he read, eyes still wide in amazement. "Wow, this place is packed with cool Digimon," he commented, looking around at the thousands of Digimon swarmed in the camp.

"How can we help out?" Asuka asked curiously.

"Do you have a Digimon partner?" Beowolfmon asked curiously, before regretting the question as a look of sadness crossed the human girl's features, her head shaken in response. "I see," he noted.

"That's no problem darling; you can help out in the medical tents," Ranamon suggested.

"Yeah, this place needs all the help it can get," Agunimon added, before looking to Zach and Candlemon. "And what about you? You want to fight alongside us?" he asked.

Zach punched one fist into the palm of his other hand, mirroring the gesture of one of his heroes from the television show: Marcus Damon. "Bring it on," he taunted eagerly.

"Oh brother," Asuka muttered.

"I think that's done," Asuka said, tearing the end of a bandage having finished wrapping it around the Digimon's creamy-white wrist, the Digimon wincing in pain during the process. "You should be good as new in no time," she said, the Digimon nodding in response. "Sorry it hurt a bit, I haven't done this before," she added uncomfortably, as the Digimon stepped down, turning to her.

"Thank you muchly, you have no idea how much that hurt, erm, girl," the Digimon said, looking to her through his large black eyes. Its short body featured an odd pointy head, small pointed ears, small grey clawed hands and feet, a grey bit of "stubble" around its mouth, and, most oddly and bizarrely of all, a slightly bulging pink haramaki, a Japanese body warmer, around his stomach. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?" he asked, his voice polite yet slightly goofy all the same.

"Oh, I'm Asuka Kumiko," the girl replied with a smile.

"Greetings," the Digimon replied. "I am Bokomon, keeper of The Book," he introduced himself, although Asuka was already well aware of this particular Digimon's species.

"The book?" she asked. Wasn't that just in the television series? Oddly, he reached inside the haramaki, pulling out a large old brown book.

"Okay, Digimon are just weird at times," Asuka pondered, reaching out to take the book. She took the volume curiously in her hands, noting its worn texture and missing edges in places. She placed her finger under the cover, gently opening it. She raised an eyebrow in bewilderment, before continuing to flick through the book, rather quicker than someone who was actually reading it.

A look of shame grew on Bokomon's face as she did so, a smile replaced by a frown.

She lifted the book up when she reached the end, turning it round to show him. "Um, is it meant to be blank?" she asked.

"Well, you see, I was meant to write of great legends and adventures in it, but I…haven't had any yet," he replied uncomfortably, mumbling the last part. Asuka smiled, it was amusing to see how certain Digimon presumed themselves for certain roles. "Ahem, do you know of any great legends or adventures I could write?" he asked curiously.

"Well…" she pondered, placing her hand on her chin and her finger on the corner of her mouth as she looked to the roof of the tent for inspiration, before mentally slapping herself on the forehead as an idea came to her. "Yeah, I do, but I don't think it's the kind of thing that you'd want to write in a book like that."

"Huh, why ever not?" he asked, confused.

"Well, it's a bit dark, depressing and downright miserable at times," she answered.

"Please, tell me of this story," he asked, eager about the idea despite Asuka's wariness.

Asuka frowned, sighing and nodding as she thought back through the past two days. "Fine," she answered. "It started two days ago, when my partner and I were walking through Tokyo. Tokyo's this big city in the human world…"

"Aha, like the City of Domain," Bokomon noted, catching onto the idea that Asuka was suggesting.

"Yeah, whatever that is. Anyway, I was a Tamer, a person who has a Digimon partner who has decided to protect the worlds from all things evil," she said, a glum smile staying on her face.

"A gallant hero fighting for the justice of good!" Bokomon said, scribbling things down in his book as she said it.

"Yeah, something like that," Asuka replied, a frown still on her face. "My partner was a Hawkmon, and he was the best Digimon I could ever hope for. We were the best of friends, and we were always looking out for one another," she said, saddened by the memories.

"You say that as if he has passed?" Bokomon asked, looking curiously into Asuka's eyes. She didn't speak, a saddened look staying on her face and telling Bokomon all he needed to know. "Oh…" he mumbled, his pencil stopping as he realised he'd pressed on a rather sensitive issue. "What happened?" he asked.

"There was this evil guy…the guy controlling the Artmon. On that day, we heard the voice when walking down the street, from everything with a speaker, even stuff that wasn't connected to anything," she said sadly. "I'm sure you know what the message was," she noted. Bokomon nodded.

"Yes, we all do," he answered.

"Anyway, straight after the message, there's a flurry of Artmon out of the area. We're horrified, but I realise that we have to fight and digivolve Hawkmon to Aquilamon. We defeat a few of the Artmon, but I see this kid, injured already and his partner paralysed. He's about to become a victim, so Aquilamon and I race towards him and I push him to the ground. But they changed targets, they went for Aquilamon instead, and…" she snivelled, tears building in her eyes as she sobbed.

"I see," Bokomon said, not sure how to respond to or help with the intense emotions the human girl was experiencing.

"The next while was a blur, I was so upset I was almost paralysed myself. This kid I saved, who I later found was called Zach…he and his partner, a Candlemon, helped me away, and we escaped. But, I realised, my parents could be dead by now…and he stopped me from going back to save them. At the time I hated him…not knowing why he was stopping me, but…"

"I am not losing you," he insisted. "You have lost so much, you have to survive!" Zach insisted, Alice nodding in agreement.

"…he didn't want me to be killed too. We'd both seen so much death, I'd never even seen a human die before. And…we soon saw more death, these soldiers…" she began, before noticing the bewildered look on Bokomon's face. "…um…these humans with guns and fighting training and all…they helped us out, but then they were killed, so we had to go on the run again. We got supplies from a café…um…a food serving place, but then we were cornered again," she said, a slim smile coming onto her face as she remembered their saviour. "But this woman, Alice McCoy, she saved us with this odd weapon. It literally took the Artmon out of existence, it was amazing. But…she seemed a bit secretive, and to this day I have no idea why. She helped us get to a hotel…um, a place where there are beds we could sleep in for the night…"

"Yes, we have those in the Digital World too," Bokomon noted, recalling his visits to the grand city of Domain.

"Yeah, well, somehow, she managed to get electricity in the building to power everything despite the fact all the power stations were shut down. And we stayed there overnight, but then…in the morning, it was so quiet, and Zach and I went downstairs. The Artmon were outside, and Alice was telling us to be quiet while she created a portal for us to escape to the Digital World. I have no idea how she made it, but…she didn't come with us. I pleaded for her to follow, knowing she'd be killed otherwise, but for some reason she stayed behind while Zach had to forcibly pull me through the portal. I really hope she's alive, but…I know she's probably dead," she said pessimistically, looking down at the ground as Bokomon continued to write, not sure whether he was being sensitive in doing so or not. "And when we arrived, Zach and I had a fight. I hated him for having let Alice stay alone and die, but then…then we were confronted by some Artmon, but an Agunimon saved us, and brought us here," she said, finishing her recount. "At least I got that off my chest," she thought, frowning. She knew that it wouldn't help alleviate things - it was still a helluva lot of emotional trauma that she knew would stick with her for the rest of her life: as short as that would probably be. She knew that Zach, albeit he not having lost his partner, would likewise be harshly affected.

Bokomon was suddenly bawling his eyes out. "That is the saddest story I have ever heard!" he cried, far more exaggerated than a normal being would cry, seas of tears flying out.

"O…kay," Asuka mumbled, watching in bewilderment and yet with a sense of awe as well.

"Boss," Mummymon hissed. "This is boring, where are our opponents?" he asked, looking around at the harsh desert in irritation. Zach sighed, looking up to his snake-like partner.

"We'll find some soon enough, just chill," he told his partner.

"Why do you want to fight all the time?" Beowolfmon asked the mummy, concern in his voice.

"Because fighting is fun!" Mummymon cheered darkly, bringing out looks of disgust from Agunimon, Beowolfmon, a MetalGreymon and a d'Arcmon, a female bird-like humanoid with four wings, a pair of swords at her waist and light military armour on her form, which constituted their party.

"You'll have to excuse him, he changes so much in his different forms," Zach said, a slight grin coming to his face. "At least he's powerful, even if his aim isn't quite up to scratch," he added, looking to his partner who glared at him.

"My aim is perfect, it's my opponents moving that are the problem," Mummymon answered.

"Such an idiot," d'Arcmon said with a frown.

"I sense an enemy, approaching from the west," MetalGreymon said, turning his bulk to face a group of black spots approaching in the distance. Agunimon and Beowolfmon leapt forward in front, determination burning in their eyes and showing they were ready for battle, whilst d'Arcmon leapt over and landed on MetalGreymon's metallic head, brandishing her sword ready for battle. Contrasting with the organised display, Mummymon simply ran forward towards the Artmon on his own, brandishing Obelisk in readiness for battle.

"Mwahhaha," he laughed, firing the weapon. "NECROPHOBIA!" he growled, blasts of electricity burning out the first of a few dozen Artmon.

"What is he doing?!" Agunimon asked, surprised by the actions of their supposed "team" member.

"Mummymon, come back here!" Zach called, irritated by the usual actions of his partner.

"No, this is fun!" Mummymon roared happily, firing off his weapon again as the five dozen Artmon surrounded him. "NECROPHOBIA!" he roared, taking out several. The others prepared to fire, cocking their cannons. He laughed, leaping back over them and landing behind.

Unfortunately, one of them turned faster than him, firing a blast into his chest and sending him hissing across the desert floor in pain.

"Mummymon!" Zach called, running over to his injured partner fearfully.

"Attack!" Agunimon called, his improvised band of fighters readying their attacks.

A pair of fish-like missiles prepared themselves as a chest-plate on MetalGreymon opened. "GIGA BLASTER!" he growled, the missiles shooting forward rapidly. They collided with the ground beneath the Artmon, scattering them and tilting them off course. As they began to regain their control, d''Arcmon and Beowolfmon leapt forward, preparing their own deadly attacks.

"FROZEN HUNTER!" Beowolfmon bawled, a huge blue wolf of fire bursting from his twin bladed sword upwards. He leapt forward along with it, the pair bursting through a dozen or so Artmon and turning them into little more than spare data - data which the rest were quick to absorb and use to regain their concentration.

"BAPTÊME D'ARMOUR!" d'Arcmon shrieked, flying forward and slashing her pair of swords, the Puissance De La Pucelle, around, slicing several Artmon in two. She landed beyond them gracefully as they burst into data.

"Are you okay Mummymon?" Zach asked.

"Fight!" he roared, standing and raising Obelisk once again. "NECROPHOBIA!" he roared, the blast screeching across the battlefield. The Artmon suddenly dodged, d''Arcmon screaming in pain as the electric blast smashed into her back, racing through the swords and throwing her to the ground.

"d'Arcmon!" MetalGreymon called, as the Digimon fell flat on the ground.

"Mummymon!" Zach yelled at his partner, who continued to grin in amusement. "LISTEN TO ME!" he added.

"No!" the mummy answered, grasping Obelisk once again and leaping forward at the Artmon.

"You asked for it then," Zach muttered, executing a plan he hoped he'd never have to carry out. "DIGI-MODIFY…Susanoomon Activate!" he said, slashing the powerful mega level's card through his D-Arc, the screen blazing ferociously with golden light as the energy rushed into his partner.

Mummymon smirked, raising his arms and landing on the ground. The other Digimon looked at Zach in horror: why give an already out-of-control Digimon even more power?

"HEAVEN'S THUN…" Mummymon began, before he started to crack under the force of all the energy. His now-golden form shuddered, attracting the attention of several Artmon, who fired shots into it.

That was enough to send Candlemon spiralling down below, Zach breathing a deep sigh of relief before running to retrieve him.

"Now it's my turn!" Agunimon declared, repeating a gesture familiar to Zach from earlier, flames twisting around into a vortex. "PYRO TORNADO!" he roared, spiralling towards their robotic foes and consuming them in a blaze of searing heat, which wiped them from the face of the Digital World. He landed, relieved that it was all over, before they all turned to face their human companion and his chaotic partner.

"Are you okay d'Arcmon?" MetalGreymon asked, looking to his warrior companion. D'Arcmon turned, glaring at Candlemon as she spoke.

"I'm fine," she answered, before raising a sword to point at Candlemon. "But that monster is out of control!" she decreed.

"Yeah, what's wrong with him?" Beowolfmon asked. Zach glanced to Candlemon, frowning as Candlemon looked back innocently.

No-one saw a solitary Artmon, silently creeping away, it's top open and a dish spread out, transmitting a message far and wide…

"I have never been more disgusted in my life," Zach spat, striding angrily through the Camp of Survivors as Candlemon struggled to keep up.

"But Zach…" Candlemon began.

"But you know what the worst thing is?" Zach interrupted, stopping to glare at his partner. "I don't think I can ever trust you again now!" he argued.

"I didn't mean it," Candlemon whimpered.

"You sure as hell did Candlemon!" Zach scolded, pointing a finger. "You could've killed d'Arcmon!" he spat. "I hate you as Mummymon, why was I landed with a partner who doesn't even listen to me? Sure, some other people get this kind of crap in their partner's first digivolve, but this is all the flipping time!"

"I'll be better next time, I promise," Candlemon pleaded. Why was Zach pursuing the point like this? He was a different Digimon as Mummymon, but they were still partners! Why couldn't Zach see that?!

"Candlemon, there isn't going to be a next time. I am never digivolving you to Mummymon ever again!" he declared.

Candlemon frowned, looking sadly down at the ground as they continued to hop and walk in silence, the light swept over by the darkness as the night began.

"And this is the infamous Zach," Asuka introduced as soon as Zach stepped into the medical tent, a smile on her face completely contrasting with his completely peeved off expression.

"Wow, it's such an honour to meet such a proud warrior!" Bokomon cheered, Zach looking down to him curiously and raising an eyebrow.

"Hmm," he pondered, lifting out his D-Arc and pointing it at Bokomon, but no data came up. "What the hell?" he asked, before seeing that Candlemon was covering his eyes. "Candlemon, look at him," he ordered.

"No," Candlemon replied. "You don't trust me in anything, so why should I help you?" he spat, hands still over his eyes as he refused to aid his Tamer.

"Ugh, I hate you!" Zach spat, before turning and storming away out of the tent.

"Zach doesn't like Candlemon," Candlemon pointed out. "Well then, Candlemon doesn't like Zach either!" he yelled, hopping out in the other direction. Bokomon and Asuka, eyebrows risen, turned to face each other.

"Whatever was that about?" Bokomon asked, confused by how the reality of Zach and Candlemon contrasted with the story of Zach and Candlemon.

"Beats me," Asuka pondered, with a frown, before she stood up. "I better go talk to him," she decided, leaving the tent and heading in Zach's direction.

Zach wandered down the paths, storming past various open fires set up by a number of Digimon to both keep them warm and light up the darkness. The fires were flickered by the wind created by Zach's storming, before a voice interrupted him

"Okay," Asuka said, Zach turning to see the girl with her hands firmly set on her hips. "What happened this time?" she asked.

"He went berserk again, but I don't really want to talk about it," Zach answered, frowning. "Ask Agunimon if you really want to know," he added, turning and continuing to walk away. Asuka frowned, before her expression tightened into anger.

"At least you have a partner!" she yelled. Zach turned, a sharp, angered look on his face.

"You dole out the same old lines again and again," he said harshly, glaring at her.

"What?" she asked, surprised at his insensitivity and tactlessness.

"We've given you endless sympathy, and you don't seem to move on at all. How the hell do you expect to survive if you can't go a minute without telling everyone about poor, poor Hawkmon?"

"How can you say that?!"

"We've got problems right now that are bigger. I'm sorry if this is bursting your bubble, but the world isn't going to stop to let you lay back and cry. Hell, if I wasn't even here to snap you out of it, you'd be dead by now," he argued.

An uncomfortable silence fell, Asuka's eyes tilting down to the ground sadly, tears welling in her eyes.

"Now for once, why don't you leave me alone," Zach finished, before turning and walking away from the girl.

Asuka's hand gripped into a fist, anger crossing her face. "Bastard," she muttered.

"Good, you're back, how is he?" Bokomon asked enthusiastically when the girl returned to the tent.

"Don't even mention him," she cursed in response, falling down on one of the medical beds left around the tent and sighing in irritation as she wiped the remnants of a tear from her eyes.

"My, humans don't get on very well," Bokomon contemplated, frowning and sighing as he walked outside the tent and looked up at the Earth orb hanging high above. "So far away," he noted, as one of the data streams pouring out of it switched off. He frowned at the sight; things were clearly as bad there as they were in the Digital World.

Suddenly, a black blot blurred across his vision rapidly. A siren began to sound.

And all hell broke out.

"Run, it's the Artmon!" a Gazimon shrieked, creating mass panic as the sirens began to blare out across the camp. Zach looked with worry down at the various rookie levels pouring past his legs, his anger periodically evaporating as fear set in. He looked up, seeing several black dots crossing the bright light from the Earth orb, growing in frequency rapidly.

"Great," he thought sardonically, remembering his current situation with Candlemon, before he did an about-turn, racing back towards the tent.

"Artmon are attacking!" Bokomon blurted, bursting back into the tent. Asuka's eyes widened in horror as she began to hear the alarms sounding across the camp, and the screams and explosions as the attack began. A cannon blast tore through one of the walls, smashing into the ground a way away along the tent. Asuka stared on, terrified, as a Gekomon became little more than flecks in her vision, before his data gravitated out the hole in the makeshift tent.

"That was…horrible…" she thought, her mind racing through the gravity of their situation yet her feet stayed firmly put.

"Asuka, what do we do?" Bokomon asked, his voice thickened by alarm. Asuka, as if by instinct, clutched her D-Arc, holding it out, but all that was displayed was static. She let out a growl of irritation, both at herself and at the way events had been unfolding as of late.

"Ugh, where's Zach when you need him?" she thought, turning to walk towards the doorway but stopping in her tracks when it exploded in her face, the loose material of the tent flapping as it began to sag down. She turned, seeing a dozen or so rookie and in-training level patients, along with Bokomon, all trying to escape. Bokomon paused to look at her for guidance, whilst the other patients raced towards the other exit. "Stop!" she called, but it was too late.

A Gomamon, a Gazimon, two Gekomon, an Otamamon, a Koromon, a Neemon, a DemiVeemon, a DemiMeramon, a Kamemon, a Kotemon, a Strabimon and a Penguinmon, all burst into shards of data as a blast ripped through the tent.

Asuka felt fit to cry as her "patients" vanished before her eyes. She looked down to Bokomon, similar tears threatening to block his vision as well.

Only the sound of more explosions and a resounding crack snapped her back to reality, as the large greenish tent began to break its remaining supports topple down on them. Her first instinct was to run, but her mind alerted her to an alternative.

"Get down!" she ordered, pushing both herself and Bokomon to the ground, the tent fabric falling down on top of them, the metal poles holding it up thankfully missing them as they fell.

"What are we doing?" Bokomon asked, his voice muffled by the tent's fabric and the dirt they had kicked up as they skidded to the ground. He coughed, wiping his eyes clear with his haramaki.

"Cover," Asuka answered, crawling under the fabric to the edge of the tent. "Please don't see me!" she pleaded, sticking her head out under the edge to see the horrendous slaughter now encompassing the camp. Screams filled the air, both deep roars and high squeals, and data flowed upwards to a group of unmoving Artmon in the centre, allowing the rest to clean up the survivors of the Camp of Survivors attack.

"We're screwed, aren't we?" Bokomon asked, sighing as he contemplated how even the legendary exploits of these two human's he had met couldn't defend them now. Even with the flames and assorted battle effects filling the air as the more powerful Digimon fought back, the sheer number of Artmon told them all they needed to know: this battle was a sure-win for the enemy.

"Great, of all the bloody times," Zach contemplated, vaulting over a felled tent pole as he ran through the remains of the camp, his trainers pounding against the disturbed sand and his eyes occasionally glancing over to the battle raging between the more powerful Digimon and the horde of Artmon. He wished he could fight beside them, but he had something else to attend to first. He looked back down to the compass on his D-Arc, quickening his pace.

Candlemon barely dodged a cannon blast, crashing to the ground up against a pile of wood. The Artmon floated over him, not even gloating about his victory. Not that they could, anyway. The cannon port rapidly reloaded.

"LAVA LOOGIE!"

Candlemon grinned weakly, a meagre flame tossed from his flame tip and shooting towards the Artmon. It collided, but the Artmon didn't seem remotely effected. It fired, Candlemon turning slightly to the side and being thrown off the log pile, by now realising that getting up again would be a challenge. The Artmon adjusted its aim, Candlemon preparing to accept his fate.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, as he focused on the log pile.

"LAVA LOOGIE!" he yelled again, but this time aiming for the logs, which quickly burst into flames. The Artmon paused to reappraise the situation, and this proved the perfect chance for Candlemon to act. He grasped a log, tossing it at the Artmon. As the log dented the edge of the Artmon, Candlemon made no hesitation in sending the rest in the mechanoid Digimon's direction. Although unlikely to defeat it, Candlemon knew he needed all the time he could get. "Take that!" he taunted, enjoying his final moments.

His joy was short lived though, as the Artmon shot one of the logs out of mid-air.

"It was fun while it lasted," Candlemon sighed, as the Artmon once again began to fire.

"Leave him alone!" Zach shrieked, leaping at the Artmon and smashing it to the ground with his fist. A smile crossed the weakened Candlemon's face at the sight of his Tamer, Zach nodding in response.

"Boss' punch looked like Marcus Damon," Candlemon pointed out.

The Artmon adjusted itself, spinning to see Zach and Candlemon again. If it had emotions, it would be surprised, but it saw this as a mere unexpected variable in the tactics.

"That was sort of what I intended," Zach answered, grinning as he gripped his D-Arc, twisting a card through his fingers as he glared at the Artmon. "But he can't do this!" he said, swiping the card through. "DIGI-MODIFY…Recharge Activate!" he called, Candlemon pushing himself to his feet as energy surged through his form. He made no hesitation in attacking, as a ball of magma appeared in his hand.

"FLAME BOMBER!" he called, the ball tossed at and colliding with the Artmon, who burst into data as it impacted the cracks on his armour.

"Quick, absorb it!" Zach ordered, but was too late. The data shot upwards, before being absorbed by the central group of Artmon above. Zach growled in irritation, outstretching a finger to point at the group. "Next target!" he said.

"Mummymon?" Candlemon asked pleadingly.

"No, there are way too many innocent Digimon here, and if you were to go on a rampage that'd make you as bad as the Artmon. I can't trust you, sorry," he said with a frown, grasping a card in his hand.

"Fine boss," Candlemon sighed, as Zach swiped the card.

"DIGI-MODIFY…Digivolution Activate!" he called.

D-I-G-I-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N

"It's Wizardmon!" Asuka said in surprise, her voice but a whisper as a blue and brown figure levitated through the fire-lit darkness towards the central group of Artmon above. Bokomon looked on in a mix of surprise and amazement, smiling widely. They had hope yet!

"Hooray!" he exclaimed.

"THUNDER CLOUD!" Wizardmon called, his sceptre held out as a dark thunder cloud appeared over the Artmon. A trio of lightning bolts struck out from it, smashing into each of the three Artmon which sparked, allowing Wizardmon the chance to get another attack in. As events turned out, he didn't have to.

"ELECTRON CANNON!" roared a voice, a high velocity blast shooting out from the city and smashing through the three Artmon. They burst into a huge amount data, which scattered out amongst the camp, Asuka grinning widely at the sight. Along the disturbed sand path through the camp, a familiar blue sight from the TV show, MetalKabuterimon, cheered at the win.

It was to be a short lived one, unfortunately, as the whole group of Artmon converged on MetalKabuterimon. The beast looked about in surprise, but didn't have any chance to speak. His data rushed into the air with a booming quake. Asuka weakly put her hand out in surprise, not believing what she had just seen.

"No!" she called, perhaps a mistake. The data gathered once again, into three more Artmon, who took to the air, shooting a few blasts at Wizardmon in the process. Wizardmon dodged, but was horrified to see these Artmon taking on basically the exact same role as the previous one. Asuka frowned, it really was hopeless.

"Look out!" Bokomon shouted, Asuka tilting her head to see several Artmon posed over her, ready to attack.

"PYRO TORNADO!" roared a voice, as a flaming vortex screeched through them, their data soon being absorbed by the trio in the sky. Agunimon came to a stand again, looking down on the girl and the creamy-white Digimon.

"You okay?" he asked them, their heads peeking out under the green fabric like children hidden under a quilt.

"Yeah, thanks," Asuka answered. Beowolfmon landed next to Agunimon, concerned looks crossing their faces.

"There are too many of them! All the mega levels are already dead!" he said, his eyes thick with alarm. They were losing, and there was nothing they could do.

Asuka wasted no time, instead standing up and running in the direction she had seen Wizardmon go from. She had to find Zach: they had to get out of there! She heard footsteps pounding behind frantically, Asuka knowing Bokomon was there too. Unfortunately, so was something else.

"Look out!" Agunimon called, leaping in the way of a volley of Artmon blasts, which collided with his back instead. He screeched to the ground, his data shaking.

"Agunimon!" Asuka screamed, appalled by how many of her friends were being killed. She wanted to lie down and cry, she wanted the warm embrace of her mother, reassuring her that everything was alright. Hell, she wanted an Omnimon, or an Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, to appear at that very moment and save their lives. But there wouldn't be. This wasn't the TV show: there was nothing keeping her alive. No character shield to save her at the last moment. She bent down over Agunimon, hoping she could do something to save him.

"As…" he began, stopped as a cannon blast tore straight through his head, his data thrown into the air like inverted confetti around the distraught girl. Her tear-laden eyes widened, as Beowolfmon raised a hand, both as weak and as late as each other to stop the tragedy.

The data streamed upwards, flowing into the Artmon above.

"Agunimon!" Zach called, running out of the darkness over to where the Legendary Warrior of Fire had once been, no trace remaining of his presence. He paused in horror, looking down at the space for a while.

"He…he didn't even get any last words," Asuka said monotonously, both staring at the same sight. Tears welled in her eyes, as Zach glanced to her, an arm going around her shoulder in fake reassurance.

"Maybe with Mummymon," Zach's mind nagged, but he knew otherwise. Even with Mummymon, this battle was still lost: there were just too many of them. Asuka was going to die. Candlemon was going to die. He was going to die.

As if hearing his words and accepting them, the body of Candlemon smashed to the ground nearby, Zach and Asuka turning in horror to see the once-again weakened form. Zach's feet pounded against the floor as he ran over to the ornamental Digimon, desperate to prevent another situation like Agunimon. He skidded to the ground, bending down over his partner.

"No!" he pleaded. "Candlemon, you can't die!" he insisted, as Candlemon's data flickered, his flame lightening and shrinking. This couldn't be happening! Zach's mind insisted that it wasn't so, but this was all too real not to believe it.

"Candlemon…is…sorry," Candlemon stated weakly.

"No, I'm sorry," Zach replied, tears coming to his eyes and dripping down his cheeks. "I didn't trust you…we're partners…we have to trust each other…"

"I…know…"

"Then please don't go…we'll do better this time, I promise…"

"Ugh…" Candlemon groaned, his eyes narrowing as his grip on reality weakened.

"CANDLEMON!" Zach screamed, his D-Arc reacting with a bright light that enveloped the pair of them.

"Wow…" Asuka thought in amazement, her tears stopping from sheer awe as she was forced to cover her eyes.

B-I-O-M-E-R-G-E

D-I-G-I-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N

Candlemon Biomerge Digivolve to…

Zach felt a closer bond with his partner than ever before, as he fell back onto the ornamental Digimon's form. Sparks flicked between them, binding their data together as they were enveloped in a bright flash. Candlemon flashed through all his forms, through Wizardmon, through Mummymon, into a new even more mummy-like form. The data began to mirror it, gold armour flashing up and down as Pharohmon began to be reborn. Zach's eyes moved behind Candlemon's, as…

All hell broke loose.

A thousand Artmon blasts struck the form in the middle of digivolving, clearly having no sense of timing or dramatic moments. Asuka's eyes widened in shock as the light blurred, dying down before suddenly and horrifically being torn to pieces in front of her, less than a pair of metres from where she stood. The gold data flew out into the air around her, passing around her form as her mouth gaped open. Beowolfmon had nothing to say, neither did Bokomon. In fact, the whole camp was silent, although that could be for more sinister reasons.

The data began to float upwards, nothing left behind in its place. No body, no digi-egg, nothing but an emerald green D-Arc dropping into the sand below.

Only Asuka said anything, although it was little more than a murmur.

"…Zach…"

TO BE CONTINUED…

I think that speaks for itself. This has been planned from the start, before you all think I just killed off Zach randomly so soon. Things are about to get even bleaker for our heroes, but unfortunately the next chapter will have to wait for Book Seven to be in progress. If I get really eager to write, I may publish it early (since it may not spoil too much), but trust me, if you were shocked by this ending, the next cliff-hanger will make your eyes widen so far your eyeballs pop out. Or something like that, but less horrific.

Until next time…